


Regrets

by Tobiko



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Implied Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-10 21:10:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10447578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tobiko/pseuds/Tobiko
Summary: Trini and Kimberly run into some cheerleaders in the hall, and some uncomfortable truths come to light.





	

Trini had been worried about the Power Rangers being able to remain friends after they defeated Rita, and frankly it had been a fear for all four of the others, but as it turned out staying friends after risking your lives together was the _easiest_ part. It didn’t matter that people sometimes whispered and stared when they saw Jason Scott paling around with Billy Cranston, when Zack threw his arms around Kim and Trini’s shoulders in the middle of the hallway, when the five of them sat together at lunch and acted like they were in a bubble of their own making, five parts of the same whole.

It was weird for their schoolmates but not for them, and they stopped paying attention to the speculation within two days of Rita’s defeat. Besides, there was more important stuff, like helping with rebuilding efforts when they weren’t serving Saturday detention and taking trips to the mine to spar in The Pit ( _with_ their armor, now).

So they’d forgotten how weird it might have looked on the day that Kim and Trini were walking down the hallway and joking about something that Zack had said to Jason when they were caught by surprise by Amanda and Rebecca, who bumped harshly into Trini as they smacked the books out of Kimberly’s hands and shoved her hard. It didn’t do much, their Power Rangers constitutions made them nearly immovable to the average teenagers, but it was startling enough for both girls that they stepped back. Trini watched with curiosity as Kimberly’s whole face changed, wariness in her eyes and a subtle clenching of her fists.

Amanda and Rebecca seemed surprised that their actions hadn’t resulted in either girl moving much, but they rebounded and went for the verbal where the physical had failed. “Gee, Kim, scraping the bottom of the barrel are we? Have to hang out with the nobodies because they’re the only ones who don’t know what an evil bitch you are?”

Kimberly opened her mouth to reply but couldn’t seem to find words. Trini blinked, a little thrown by her friend not saying anything back in defense, but Kim was finally able to muster a, “She’s not a nobody.”

 _And defend yourself too,_ Trini thought, but nothing else was forthcoming. Trini looked at the girls, who were openly sneering at Kimberly and ignoring Trini for the most part.

“Hey. Fuck off,” Trini snapped. “We were just walking here, we didn’t do anything to you.”

Amanda Clark turned to appraise Trini, an eyebrow raised, but she didn’t seem to see anything worth noting because she turned back to Kim. Trini seethed. Usually, she liked being the perpetual new kid. It meant no one paid her any mind. But now, now she wished she had some sort of badass rep to make these girls think twice about messing with them.

Trini looked at Kimberly to see if anything had changed. It had, but not in a good way. Kimberly was noticeably avoiding eye contact with her, with everyone, looking at the floor and frowning. What the fuck was going on?

“No need to reply, Kimmy,” Amanda said breezily, stepping into Kim’s personal space and whispering something in her ear. Kimberly’s face flared red and she didn’t move an inch as Amanda and Rebecca breezed past.

“What the hell was that?” Trini asked, watching as the girls walked around a corner. Kimberly didn’t say anything, just bent down to pick up her books.

“Kim?” Trini asked, her voice less harsh now, bordering on concerned.

“It’s nothing.” 

“Clearly not,” Trini grumbled, taking a step towards Kim. It hurt when Kim took a step back.

Kimberly seemed to notice what she’d done and she shook her head. “Sorry, Trini. It’s not important, it- it just has something to do with why I’m not a cheerleader anymore.”

Trini’s eyes narrowed. She’d seen enough high school drama in her life to know that Kimberly was most certainly lying. That had been some Mean Girls level intimidation, and Kimberly hadn’t even fought back. Had defended _Trini_ , and not herself.

“Kimberly-“ she started, then floundered for words as she tried to piece together something reassuring or comforting to say. The Power Rangers were her first friends since well before middle school, so talking to a friend wasn’t exactly second nature to her anymore. “If you wanna talk…” she settled on.

Kimberly looked up, finally, and Trini felt a wrenching in her chest when she saw Kim’s eyes were glossy.

Voice trembling ever so slightly, Kim said, “You’d hate me.”

“What?” Trini asked.

Kim shook her head again. “I couldn’t live with that.”

“What are you talking about? Hate you? I wouldn’t-“ Trini trailed off, not even sure what she was reassuring Kim _about_. But she’d never hate Kim. Never.

Kim wrapped her arms around herself and let out a sharp laugh that wasn’t full of any humor. “You don’t know. You don’t know you wouldn’t.”

Here, Trini felt like she had some solid ground. She scowled at Kim and took a purposeful step forward and after a second’s hesitation she took Kim’s hand. “Yes I do. I’d never hate you, Kimberly.”

Kimberly’s eyes were searching, full of fear and doubt and hope. She wanted to believe so badly.

“… okay. Okay.”

There was a long pause. Trini felt discomfort rising as she looked up and down the now empty hallway, unsure of what she should be doing. Should they move? Should Trini hug Kimberly? She was about to say something, when Kimberly spoke again. “I did something horrible. Something so bad- I hid myself from _myself_ , from the other Rangers, something I couldn’t face, and it’s why we couldn’t morph.”

Trini’s eyes widened. Kim had been the reason they couldn’t morph? Trini remembered that night around the fire, when Kim had said “Skip me”. Trini had seen Kim’s eyes shining in the firelight. That was what this was about?

“I- I sent-“ Kimberly reached into her pocket and took out her phone and then she frowned. “Oh. I forgot- I deleted it. Jason said I should.”

Trini felt a twang of hurt when she realized that meant that _Jason_ knew, and she didn’t.

“That almost makes this harder. I could have just held it up and-“ Kimberly still held her phone, looking at it as if she was willing it to manifest whatever she’d deleted. “… Amanda sent me a picture. A pic of her- naked- and I- I sent it to my ex. I asked him if she was who he wanted to bring home to his family. I don’t even know why I did it, and then I scrambled to make excuses, any excuses, to relieve myself of any guilt. But it was me. I did this horrible, thoughtless thing, I betrayed her- and I deserve all the hatred.” Kimberly looked down at her books. “I deserved that, just now.”

Trini was quiet. As the silence dragged on, Kimberly visibly _winced_ at the fact that Trini wasn’t jumping to comfort her. She got smaller, her whole face tight with sadness and self-loathing.

“Yeah, probably,” Trini said after a long while.

Kimberly shrank even further into herself.

“Doesn’t mean I liked seeing it.”

Kim froze, and ever so slowly she looked back at Trini, eyes wide and cheeks wet.

Trini shrugged. “You did a shitty thing, and owning that is important. But you’re- you’re Kimberly. You know? You’re my- “ Trini bit her lip. “You’re my friend. And I have seen you at your best. Now I’ve seen some of your worst. But I still love you. I still believe you’d die for me, and I’d die for you. The things you’ve done that you regret and hate yourself for, they don’t change that fact.”

Trini gave Kimberly a crooked smile. “I mean, we’re Power-“

But she didn’t get to finish as Kimberly threw her arms around her, holding her as tight as she could, which for a Ranger was pretty tight. Trini’s breath hitched and it had nothing to do with the hug being slightly painful. 

She wrapped her arms around Kimberly and squeezed back.

When Kimberly pulled away her cheeks were still shiny with tears but she was smiling. Trini smiled back. She punched Kim’s shoulder lightly. “You wanna go to the bathroom real quick to wash your face?” 

Kim nodded and without asking looped her arm through Trini’s.

The two Rangers walked arm in arm through the halls of Angel Grove High.

**Author's Note:**

> I did a thing because wow new ship.


End file.
